President Joe Biden had called out Ticketmaster and other ticketing giants for their hidden “junk fees” during his State of the Union address. Now, Live Nation Entertainment is introducing an “all-in pricing experience” that will eliminate hidden fees and allow ticket buyers to see a concert or event’s true cost before purchasing.
“Fans typically know tickets will include service fees, but seeing the total cost from the start makes buying tickets easier and consistent with other retail shopping experiences,” the company said in a press release. The New York Times has revealed SeatGeek is also introducing a similar feature to display events’ total costs.
Ticketmaster, which is owned by Live Nation Entertainment, has been under fire since the botched rollout of tickets to Taylor Swift’s ongoing Eras Tour. Fans have filed multiple lawsuits against Ticketmaster, and there was a Senate Judiciary hearing on the company’s operations. Other musicians – such as the members of Pearl Jam and the Cure’s Robert Smith – have been vocal about their displeasure for Ticketmaster’s fees.
Biden called out the ticketing giants for their “junk fees” during his State of the Union address in February. “We can stop service fees on tickets to concerts and sporting events and make companies disclose all the fees upfront,” he said. According to a White House press release posted yesterday, President Biden has been meeting with people from several events companies to discuss the new pricing commitment.
Besides Biden's work, other efforts have been made by lawmakers and organizations to crack down on unfair ticket pricing. A pair of Massachusetts state lawmakers introduced the so-called "Taylor Swift bills" in the state house that would require ticket-selling companies or resellers to disclose the cost of tickets and all associated fees before customers make a purchase. The bill also targets Ticketmaster's dynamic pricing model, which adjusts ticket prices based on demand. State Sen. John Velis (D-MA) Velis said the bill “would add Massachusetts to a list of a growing number of states that have implemented similar policies to ensure consumers know the true cost of their tickets from the onset.”
Additionally, the National Independent Talent Organization (NITO) recently revealed a plan to fix the broken ticketing system. They said in a statement: “We applaud President Biden’s announcement on ticket fee transparency as an important first step. NITO calls on all ticket sellers to clearly show fans the total price of a ticket upfront but also provide an itemized breakdown so fans understand the ticket price set by the artist and the fees added by ticket sellers. Until Congress acts to eliminate excessive fees and secondary ticketing is carefully regulated, millions of consumers will still be the victim of predatory ticketing practices.”
Per Forbes: the White House says the new ticket model offered by Live Nation will be available by September. SeatGeek will roll out its changes this summer.
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Article Image: Over a red background, a hand holds up a phone screen with the Ticketmaster logo. (burdun via DepositPhotos.)
